47 h 56 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 47 h 56 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Prayer, warning, comfort and argument meet in a sacred text that shapes how Muslims understand faith and daily life.
The Koran, also spelled Quran, is the central book of Islam. Muslims believe it contains God's words revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Its 114 chapters, called surahs, move between worship, moral commands and stories of earlier prophets. Rather than following a single story, the text returns to questions of belief, human conduct and judgment.
Al-Fatiha, The Opening, begins with a prayer that Muslims recite throughout their daily worship. Elsewhere, Adam's story explores temptation and forgiveness. Chapters including The Women, The Table Spread and The Spoils address community life. Across these different passages, the text presents the oneness of God as its central teaching and connects faith with justice, responsibility and care for others.
What you’ll discover
- The opening prayer Read Al-Fatiha, the brief chapter that holds a recurring place in Muslim daily prayer.
- One central belief Explore tawhid, the oneness of God, and its place at the heart of the text.
- Stories of earlier prophets Encounter Adam among the earlier messengers whose stories carry the Quran's teachings.
- Faith within community life Discover passages on marriage, inheritance, contracts and the treatment of orphans.
- Images of final judgment Meet vivid accounts of the Last Day that give human choices lasting weight within the text.
Who will love it
This is for readers curious about world religion, lovers of ancient tales of prophets and kings, students of history and law, and anyone who wants to hear what Muslims hold sacred.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Sale's edition opens with a guide
- Arabia before Muhammad shaped the Koran's world
- Muhammad's life moves from orphan to leader
- Muslims hold the Koran to be God's own speech
- Faith and practice rest on a few clear pillars
- The Cow lays out the call to one God
- Mary, Jesus and the family of Imran
- The Table and Cattle press law and reason
- Prophets in turn, from Noah to Joseph
- Medina chapters build a community
- The closing chapters move from Solomon to unity
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The Koran (Al-Qur'an)
by Anonymous; George Sale (translator) · 632
Adam, Moses, Joseph, Mary and a queen of Saba walk through the book Muslims treasure as the word of God.
ChallengingOver 20 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
What do you hold in your hands when you open the book that Muslims treat as the very word of God? This is the Koran in the English edition of George Sale, an English lawyer and scholar of eastern languages, first published in 1734.
The Koran (Al-Qur'an) at a glance
- Reading time
- About 27 h21 h 25 min fast, 32 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 385,300 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- about AD 632by Anonymous; George Sale (translator)
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Sale's edition opens with a guide
George Sale's edition of 1734 does not begin with the sacred text. It begins with a dedication, an address to the reader and an eight-section Preliminary Discourse. The Discourse works as a handbook to the world behind the Koran. Sale wants English readers to learn what Muslims believe from Muslim sources.
Sale was born in Kent and trained in the law. He learned eastern languages and wrote as a Christian, and he says so plainly. He cites rules for speaking with Muslims that call for no force and no abusive words. His notes draw on Muslim commentators, who tell when and why a verse came down.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 632
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 31 h 10 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
The Koran (Al-Qur'an). Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-koran-al-quran.
The Koran (Al-Qur'an). (2026). Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-koran-al-quran (Original work published ca. 632)
The Koran (Al-Qur'an). Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-koran-al-quran.
@book{anonymous2026koran,
title = {The Koran (Al-Qur'an)},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-koran-al-quran},
note = {First published ca. 632}
}
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What is the Koran about?
The Koran is the sacred book of Islam. It calls people to worship one God, retells the stories of prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, sets out laws and manners, and speaks of the day of judgment.
Who was George Sale and why does his edition matter?
George Sale was an English lawyer and scholar of eastern languages. His 1734 edition adds a Preliminary Discourse on Arabia, Muhammad, doctrine and law, and notes from Muslim commentators, which help readers understand the text.
How is the Koran arranged?
It has one hundred and fourteen chapters, each with a title and a note on whether it came down at Mecca or Medina. Chapters run roughly from the longest to the shortest, so the opening ones are fullest.
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